Who could be BJP vice presidential candidate? From Venkaiah Naidu to Najma Heptullah; here are top 5 contenders

BJP vice presidential candidate: Bhartiya Janata Party has made an abnormal delay in announcing their candidate for vice-presidential elections to be held on 5 August.

BJP vice presidential candidate: While Congress has announced the name of Gopal Krishna Gandhi for the post, the saffron party on the other hand, is still to reach consensus on one name.

BJP vice presidential candidate: In what came as a surprise for many, Bhartiya Janata Party has taken an abnormal delay in announcing their candidate for vice-presidential elections to be held on 5 August. While Congress has announced the name of Gopal Krishna Gandhi for the post, the saffron party on the other hand, is still to reach consensus on one name. It has been reported that BJP can make the annoucement anytime between Monday and Tuesday. However, just like the case Ram Nath Kovind, party’s pick for the presidential post, there is hardly any clue as to who can be party candidate for the top post. Many reports, quoting sources, speculate senior party leader Venkaiah Naidu, a Narendra Modi loyalist, to be the top candidate for the post. Firstpost, quoting sources, reports that BJP president Amit Shah had earlier met two senior RSS leaders Bhaiyyaji Joshi and Krishna Gopal to discuss the ruling NDA’s candidate, who in return favoured for a candidate belonging to the upper caste and southern India. However, the making any speculation on single would be unjustified till the party makes its last announcement. Still, considering various reports and speculations, here are top 5 names who could be BJP’s pick for the election.

1) Venkaiah Naidu: Venkaiah Naidu is being considered as the frontrunner for the post of vice president currently. At least three different media organisations, CNN News 18, Times Now, ABP News, have reported that Naidu’s name is almost finalised for the post. Naidu’s name has propped up as he is a veteran BJPian, argualy party’s most successful from southern Indian in central leadership, and an upper caste face. His elevation can be seen as BJP’s efforts to make inroads in South India ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

2) C Vidya Sagar Rao: Rao can be another low-key face from Bharatiya Janata Party like Kovind for the top post. Rao, another politician from Southern India where party is weak, hails from Telangana. Rao belongs to the upper-caste Vellama community and is the current Governor of Maharashtra. Mumbai Mirror reports that Bharatiya Janata Party is in all likelihood set to pick Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao as the vice-presidential candidate.

3) Najma Heptulla

Najma Heptullah can be Narendra Modi and Amit Shah’s googly candidate to replace Vice-President Hamid Ansari. Heptullah, a Muslim face from BJP, currently serving as Manipur Goevernor, fits the bill as she has been making headlines for her pro-feminine statements in recent times. Heptullah has also camped in Delhi in a recent while and has given a number of interviews to various channels on the issue of Triple Talaq and supporting Narendra Modi’s governance.

4) P Sathasivam

The name of Palanisamy Sathasivam, currently serving Governor of Kerala, was also discussed recent BJP meeting on the issue of vice-presidential polls, Hindustan Times reports. Sathasivam previously served as the 40th Chief Justice of India from 2013 to 2014. Sathasivam, who hails from Tamil Nadu, is the second person from the state to become the CJI.

5) Sushma Swaraj

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who was once speculated to be party’s pick Presidential Election 2017, can also be a surprise candidate for the top job. Swaraj, 65, has won accolades for her work as External Affairs Minister, and if Amit Shah and Modi finalise her name, it wouldn’t come as surprise to many.